1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to molded plastic garment hangers as are widely used for the purpose of shipping and displaying garments. Garment hangers of that type may be simply constructed as molded plastic structures incorporating a central hook adapted to be suspended from a suitable support, such as a garment display rack or the like. The garment hanger body typically has arms extending in opposite directions from the base of the central hook so as to facilitate a garment to be suspended therefrom. The opposite or distal ends of the arm typically have garment clips formed thereon to enable the attachment of various kinds of garments thereto, such as underwear, slips, brassieres, swimwear, multiple garments, and the like.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
A wide variety of such garment hangers are presently known. Typically, such garment hangers have a hook portion elevated above a horizontally-extending body portion, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 246,817. In order to grasp a garment effectively, clips, grips, slots or hooks (collectively referred to herein as "clips") are placed at the ends of the body portion of the hanger. Such prior art hangers are exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,623,079; 4,629,102; 4,892,237; 5,065,916; and 5,129,557.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,623,079 and 4,629,102 disclose a hanger having an elevated hook member, a hanger body having horizontally extending arms and respectively, resilient grips and clips of a U-shaped configuration located at the end of each arm. The U-shaped configuration includes first and second members, which are also being connected to each other; the second member also being connected to the hanger body. The U-shaped garment engaging clip has a double-flex mechanism to prevent breakage of the clip when a garment is resiliently engaged.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,237 discloses a plastic garment hanger having a hook, a body bar extending longitudinally from the hook, with the body bar terminating at each end in a pair of arms, one above and one below the body bar which form garment receiving slots. A third arm creates a downwardly opening slot at the end of the body. The shape of the arms is such that the mouth or open end of the slot is narrower than the upper or inner end of each clip. Adjacent the blind end of the garment receiving slot, the slot is deepened to form a pocket which is recessed downwardly into the body. At the entrance of the pocket a tongue from the upper flange of the body bar is provided. The tongue divides the pocket. Additionally, a finger which extends upwardly and outwardly at an angle from the upper flange of the body bar is provided. The finger is spaced inwardly a short distance from the clip.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,916 discloses a plastic garment hanger having garment retaining clip ends formed with downwardly and outwardly included support elements from which upper and lower retaining elements extend in a "T" and are provided directly with the formations engaging the garments in respective channels. The channels are defined by a surfaces having interdigitating arrays of teeth. The clip configuration is intended to overcome the deficiencies ordinary associated with clips having flexible bent back finger.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,557 discloses a plastic garment hanger having a hook, a body bar extending longitudinally from the hook and wing portions terminating each end of the body bar. Each wing portion defines a second channel in intersecting relation with the first channel. The second channel is inclined at an acute angle with respect to the first channel. Positioned along the first channel are a series of generally semi-circular projections which function to impede the movement of the garment, i.e. panty, intended to be suspended therefrom.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,109 discloses a plastic, multi-garment hanger which includes a slot extending upwardly from the edge of the body member between a vertically oriented clip and a horizontally oriented clip. The slot provides for the displacement of a portion of the vertically oriented clip and/or the horizontally oriented clip thereby reducing the level of stress concentrated at the upper, inward edge of vertical oriented clips and the connecting portion of the horizontally oriented clips of the typical multi-clip hangers. However, while the slot is taught to provide additional flexibility, applicant notes that the portions of the vertically oriented and horizontally oriented clips of U.S. Pat. No. 5,236,109 are necessarily thinner in construction which weakens such clips and reduces their strength.
Each of the above-described prior art hangers (with the exception of the hanger provided by U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,557) is provided with a clip arrangement for the retention of light-weight, two-piece garments, such as panties and brassieres. Each type of clip arrangement is provided with some level of flexibility necessary for the insertion of the garment clip.
The clip arrangement of the hanger discloses in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,623,079 and 4,629,102, described above, has generally a U-shaped configuration, the flexible free end of which can be deflected in two directions.
The clip arrangements of the hanger discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 5,065,916, described above, has a T-shaped clip configuration to firmly engage garments. It will be appreciated that the channel of the vertical clip extends at its upper end into an inwardly extending lateral slot so that a bend is applied to the waistband which can be somewhat stretched to better secure the waistband.
The clip arrangement of the hanger discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 4,892,237, described above, is designed so that the flexible arms forming the garment receiving channels provide a clamping zone to prevent the inadvertent release of the garment retained therein.
A major problem in the prior art with many molded plastic garment hangers is that of breakage of the garment clips formed thereon as a garment is inserted therein or removed therefrom. This problem with breakage of the garment clips has been recognized in the prior art, and the approach taken in the prior art to avoiding or minimizing such breakage has been to design the garment clips with additional strength and stiffness to prevent such breakage. The additional strength and stiffness has often been achieved by designing the moveable arm or arms of the garment clip with a stiffening rib extending longitudinally along the outer length of the moveable arm. Such a longitudinally extending stiffening rib imparts additional strength and stiffness to the moveable arm, but did not solve the problem with breakage of such moveable clip arms as the stiffer, more rigid arm would be forced open with more difficulty by a user, but would still result in breakage of a substantial number of such garment clips.
Moreover with such molded plastic garment hangers, garments are frequently inserted into the garment clips manually by a person who inserts a great number of garments into a corresponding number of garment clips. With the stiffer, more rigid clips, the persons inserting the garments into the garment clips frequently developed carpel tunnel syndrome because of the constant strain associated with inserting a large number of garments, particularly thicker garments, into the garment clips.